Daniella remains watching in the background since no one seems to have any real life threatening injuries (except I heard that the dark elf died... so no real loss there). When people do start to come to, she suggests that if they are all finished touching the stone that is knocking people unconscious, it is time to return to the surface.
Daniel tends to the wounded, making them more comfortable, and checking in with them periodically until they can move on their own.
My head is not on straight. She seems to direct this to herself, as if realizing something or coming to some new conclusion. And my mind is all blank. There are some things I want to check, when Daniella suggests leaving for the surface.
For one, we - at least we that have tossed some things around - seem to be leaning towards either the idea that Milara just moved a piece and gained a foothold in some thing, and that was a marker of some of this... whatever. The other being that the scorpion was in some way an answer to the vial, showing influences behind it. Yoa?
So what else can we 'ask' to see if this is so? I imagine it would not provide a hint to any Gary's about where all their left shoes have gone, but maybe something more significant or relevant. The letter said to seek answers, so what kind would that be if that's what we were doing here? On the other hand... she glances over to Daniel.
My thinking has been rather returning to the marks on the letter, seared into it. I wondered - never mind, everything is speculation at this point...
She finally pushes herself to her feet where she'd been sitting rather dully for a time, patting Plen's arm if he was still beside her. Padding over to the gate, she sings to herself to listen for resonances of magic traces in an attempt to determine what manner of magic had been detected when the gate opened; an alarm, energies released, and so on...
*Quenton scratches his head with the hand that didn't touch the crystal and shakes out the hand that did.*
With at first a quizical look on his face turning into an AHA! face he says: What if... What if we got seven people who follow each of the seven to touch it at the same time!?
Prolly they would all feel warm and fuzzy from the touch of friendly hands-shaking divinity and still eventually be shaken apart by exposure, she guesses as she returns from the gate. That carving did show light shining on groups of people, though. Just not sure if it's figuratively speaking, like knowledge, you know! I wish I had some mages, too. You're in a bad way if that's me!
During his rounds, Daniel catches Acacea's look and stops for a moment next to her and Quenton, "I think, that the words the old elf spoke of may mean precisely what Quenton suggests myself. Although I find it worrisome that Milara is involved, I think it worth the risk to assemble those followers and bring them here if we can manage it."
Maybe the Aregnite would need to climb up and stand on top of it though, to be in the middle, right? We should be careful to stand in the same spots as the constelations too... Wait... Now I'm talking like a gnome! *thinks on it for a minute* But... Yeah I think it could work right? I dunno what we might get from it... or what might happen... but I think it's worth a try!
Also, speaking of gnomes, we should get that Perti fellow down here as soon as posssible, but we probably shouldn't talk to other folk about this place. Don't want a trail of folks wandering through the deep trying to find it for some pilgramage or some such. *nods sagely*
Cunno, I definitely did not mean it wasn't worth trying, only hazarding a guess at the result and putting it off for the moment because we can't do it before we leave...
*Griff gathers the larger chunks of rock and rubble from the parts of the wall that have crumbled and deteriorated. He'll ask for help in carrying if it becomes too much for his bags to hold. He intends to bring them to the surface for some bright mind to try to piece together. Also, as Kurn suggested, some of the pieces that have identifiable markings can be carefully copied onto parchment with a charcoal rubbing.*
*Griff will also use his divine and paladin abilities to search the areas for a presense of Vorax and also a presense of evil. He will pray to Vorax in private and ask for guidance from the Eternally Vigilant on this room and their findings.*
Olmae continues his watch on the only entrance to this strange cavern, weapon at the ready, expecting everything and anything.
Unless something changes it looks like the only way out ..so best keep watch
He listens to the banter, his vigil interrupted periodically as bodies get thown across the chamber. Out of the corner of his eye he notices Sophia fiddling with a vial ..mages .. well they are all a bit too curious for their own good sometimes..
Then the scorpion statue appears, the strange elf touches it and goes limp.
The more the talk swirls about him, the more he concentrates on the door .. the door.. the strange door.. marked with runes of Aragen ..the door ..
What exactly is the importance of that ? Why is Aragen the door ? the rest of the 7 are etched in the wall. Maybe it's nothing ..no ..with gods nothing is casual, random and Aragen is the door, Aragen the center of the star circle, Aragen that never gets involved, the ultimate observer...well I guess you be neutral but that sorta puts ya ..in the middle..
He glances at the crystal thing .. hmm,, is the light or energy going up or coming down ? does it matter ?
Daniel is busy tending the injured, Acacea looks stunned , the rest just seems ..total chaos ..Mist would love this party ..
*Zig has finally sat up from his prone position and is downing all the ale he can find to get over trauma from getting blown back after touching the strange light. The other adventurers speaking and running about seem muffled and out of focus. A bit of cheer does spring forth when he sees the shady elf drop after touching the scorpion statue. He mutters out what he can, trying to form a complete sentence:*
Get what ye can now ye may nae get ye second chance on dis
She sighs at the reminder and walks back to the gate. Could someone take one of those rock chunks to the crystal while Quenton is touching it? I can't think of anything else tangible, if that matters at all. Maybe Moustache's letter from the elf.
Listening for fading traces of something, she cocks her head to one side and looks heavenward with a wry smile. I suppose there is always time for You to slap Your forehead at my straw-grasping recklessness, but may I remind You that I haven't got anyone else to lean on here, so take pity! Also sorry for the tools, I'm afraid I've become rather intractable about my materials in my age!
She kneels then on the stone and takes a small bag from her sleeve that she pours some sand from, spreading it with her hand. Rummaging around in her other sleeve she finally settles on a pie tin and licks some of the crumbs off before pouring some water in it. As she makes her preparations she sings to herself and the sand in a melodic, fluid tongue, slipping on a delicate pair of gloves.
The pie tin filled with water, in the center of the spread of sand. She gestures, and a snatch of melody is formed in small spells: to sing her from sight, to amplify the sounds around her. Tracing patterns in the sand with a wistful familiarity, she avoids attempting to tap any links and merely uses the materials for focus and direction; these runes here, to hide, to amplify. These here, seeking, to identify. These, to chain intents together, and those, to focus on her receptacle. Her small capacity for gathered energies is filled and channeled to resonate back from shreds of magic before they are gone, relying on just-so application rather than strength alone.
A blade appears in one hand from her sleeve, and is drawn carefully over her many-times scarred left bicep. Blood is given to each pattern as she sings; sand in the water then, swirled with drops of crimson to add a measure of her own life energies. Mnyz li zny ayo ehi.
Sophia moves about the cavern on her own accord. She seems to ignore the chatter of the others. After the dark elf fall prone, she moves away from the scorpion statue and back toward the door seperating the two chambers. She carefully examines the doors, the lock and the immediate area aound the door. She takes sample of the soil and wood, placing them in small vials. She mixes some talc with diamond dust to check for magical residues and traces.
*Wincing as he moves about...Kyle looks at the various etchings until he comes upon the one of the races cooperating. He stares at it for a while as if he is trying to determine something.*
Daniel pauses in his tending, watching Acacea with more than a little concern, "Blood magic or divination, Acacea?" He asks quietly, keeping his distance.
For those observing, Acacea prepares and engages in some sort of magic ritual. It consumes her attentions for a short time and seems to end suddenly. Acacea ends up on her back suddenly as if struck, but she seems physically unharmed. Beginning to end, it all takes about a minute.
Any who are sensitive to magic notice a small burst of divine magic erupts outward from Acacea at the moment that the ritual is broken.
*Sophia can't help but laugh when Acacea gets a smack down. Its not a little snigger but a full blown head back belly laugh that lasts for a few moments until she clutches her sides and stops, half a smile on her face and returns back to what she was doing*
She claps her hands to her head as her back hits the ground and then lays there a few seconds with her eyes scrunched shut. Her bare foot probes around and finds the pie tin full of water, and she uses a toe to flip it over, spilling water across the blood-touched sand. The hands that she'd briefly held to her head are slid back to fold behind it, one leg crossing over the other, as though she decided to take a rest on the floor on a lazy summer afternoon.
Sastisfied with her exam of the door she returns to the room with the carved monoliths to examine them closer. She is still smiling when she takes a flask out of her pack and takes a rather large drink.
As Acacea lands backwards, Daniel steps forward, a telltale white fire in his eyes and a prayer on his lips, then he stops. He gives Sophia a puzzled frown before turning back to Acacea. Seeing the halfling unharmed physically, he lets out a long breath, "I say, Chimes, you gavc me a start. Perhaps next time you could clue in myself or another healer before you do something impetuous?" he chuckles, "Of course not, what ever am I thinking, tis you." Giving her a brief exam, he moves on. "Nay, do not get up, you really should rest." he says over shoulder.
I don't think I could adjust to such a life. Maybe we should just have healers standing at all times! She crosses her arms over her eyes. I don't know about you, but I have an awful lot of questions, but I suppose we can put everything on the table once we're out of here. I would love to know what was moved from here, though. I don't suppose this is the helpful ask-and-ye-shall-receive sort of answer seeking we are doing here. She kind of crawls and wriggles over to the crystal and rests a bare foot against it. Dear Lucinda and Friends. Could you please show us what was moved from here, like if it was another scorpion or something more revealing of the Opposition's goals? Thank you.
She squints an eye looking at the lights for a few seconds, and then drops her foot with a dramatic sigh. I suppose I am just being greedy. Another mystery of the ages and another unappreciative wish for a manual! She laughs at herself...
*After a while just looking at the carvings of the cooperating races he furrows a brow.*
"It appears in these etchings that the races are working towards some goal. Although I can't seem to figure out what. Each etching depicts a different stage of cooperation. If we can figure out what they were working towards...might be nothing or might be something...can't tell which."
// All, as noted in the original post, we're going to close this thread this coming weekend. Please declare any additional actions you may have and express any additional investigations you are making before you will exit the chamber. PM us with any additional details. Also, if there is an open request to which we have not responded, please PM us as soon as possible. Anything brought to us by the weekend will be handled as part of the end of the last quest, but anything new brought up after this weekend will be considered a separate effort.
After a period of rest to gather himself, and while everyone is pre-occupied with their various actions and trails of thought; the dark elf disappears from the crystal chamber and group. Upon reaching the tunnel with the diety statues, he becomes invisible and darts off a unnatural speed upon drawing a blade. He said nothing to anyone.
After a time of sitting and looking at the crystal, occasionally singing or muttering to herself but with little result, she sighs. Could Katelyn maybe replace the little alarm on the gate after we leave it, so we know if someone enters the chamber while we are gone? My thinking is maybe being divine and one of the present gods, it might be even less noticed than usual. Bouncing off of yourself is just not the same as bouncing off other people...
She pushes herself to her feet and before leaving, sings a snatch of melody full of love and gratitude with her hand brushing the crystal. Pausing at the gate, she scratches her head and turns back, retrieving a small pouch, a scroll, and a yew arrow, the latter of which she turns over in the damp and bloodied sand that remains on the floor, which she tries to clean up a little after. She traces a finger along the shaft of the arrow while murmuring, and then follows it with some sparkling layer of gem dust. Once satisfied, she reads what proves to be a simple scroll of Continual Flame, so the arrow begins to glow with light.
She snaps the arrow in half and tucks one half down by crystal where its light may go unnoticed, and slides the other into her sleeve. She waits after in the space with all the carvings, looking around at them quizzically as if they were in some foreign script.
*Griff surveys the wall or mural in the first room looking at the parts that are intact and sizing up the areas that have crumbled over time and/or been recently disturbed. The extent of the amount of rubble he had intended to collect and bring to the surface appears to be more than he thought at first. He roughly concludes that an attempt by the group to bring all the rubble up (large, medium and small pieces) will not be possible and at least would make them so encumbured as to not be able to defend themselves.
The areas he is interested in are what he refers to as the 3rd, 11th and 12th sections. The 3rd section comes after the Dragons/Strife and the Bloodstone sections. The 11th and 12th come after the human in the circle and the elven woman with scrolls sections; the 12th section appears to be more recently disturbed. Also, he wants to gather the parts of the wall on the other side of the room that resembles the wall they discovered on the surface.
He wants to know who will volunteer to help him carry and how much they can carry and by what means. He's also looking for suggestions on how to get it to the surface or at least a copy of some sorts. He would suggest that the larger sections could be rougly drawn by their artist, maybe the Singer, and/or copies could be made with charcoal rubbings and parchment. Then they could leave the larger sections there and possibly come back for them.
Griff explains he is quite strong and has many bags and he can also call on his Warpony Passion for assistance. He looks across the room with a convencing stare as he poses the question and waits for responses.
//ooc I've been told the group can no way carry all the rubble due to carrying capacity and/or sheer bulk of items; also I can't speak for the group as to who would volunteer. So, it was decided to pose the dilema here and look for solutions. Cheers.
// Just so everyone understands, in case this wasn't clear during the quest, the bits of mural that have fallen away are not some relatively thin stone fascade that crumbled and fell. The mural was carved into the stone walls themselves, so the pieces of the mural have a significant chunk of stone on the back of them, to varying degrees. So besides some of them being quite heavy, they're also bulky. Except for the smaller pieces, none of them would fit neatly into a pack or a bag. Everything else would have to be carried by hand.
// Remember also that to get into this chamber there was a very long climb down a cliff. There are no mounts, pack animals or carts down there with you, nor is it likely there will be on any return trip.
After a final check on the various persons, Daniel tidies up the area around the crystal. Being careful not to make contact he polices up all the used bandages, bottles, debris, attempting to return the chamber to as they found it. That done, he approaches Griff, "I may not be a dwarf, sir, but I am still strong enough to carry a fair bit. I shall help."
//His capacity with a few buffs is an extra 500 lbs.
//His capacity with a few buffs is an extra 500 lbs.
So besides some of them being quite heavy, they're also bulky. Except for the smaller pieces, none of them would fit neatly into a pack or a bag. Everything else would have to be carried by hand.
// Remember also that to get into this chamber there was a very long climb down a cliff.
(( Emphasis added. ))
After watching for awhile from where she sits in the carving room, Acacea refocuses on Griff and Daniel, tilting her head to one side. She looks around to the fallen pieces and then back at them. This place still seems to serve purpose. If people are to be carting chunks up, who is going to be carting it back down? Isn't it easier to bring the people down than cart stone both ways? It might not survive the trip, yoa? Think how the gnome fretted over people being too near his fragile areas. I do not think they'd thank us for trying to take a piece of wall through the deep and squashing a bunch of dark-ears with it, even if it made a good end!
They, whomever they are, may also glean some information from where exactly the stone has fallen, or something. Has someone drawn and taken rubbings of the pieces, too? That seems more manageable and less like carting off pieces of importantly capitalized Halls of Purpose to unknown ends and being mistaken for pillagers... she kinda half laughs at herself and rubs a hand over her eyes.
Daniel looked dubiously at the various pieces Griff has assembled. "She is right you know, these will need to be returned sooner or later." he snaps his fingers and withdraws several sheets of high quality mahogany parchments. "I was saving these for the Aragenites, but they may like them better with actual information, even if it is simple rubbings. Who has a bit of charcoal?"
*Griff grumbles at Daniel and Acacea as he has just prepared his personal bags and gear to make maximum carrying capacity.*
Aye ye both mak'n some roite sense ov dis 'ere situation. *He sighs and grumbles some more* Maybe it best weh nay move it all from its womb. Still tink weh should maybe take some fer samples loike. Best weh get our drawers n fancy pants Illsares out tah make sketchs n rubb'ns ov all deh pieces. Weh can compare deh draw'ns uptop n see if maybe weh come up wit a better vision of what was once 'ere.
*At that, Griff would help with drawings and rubbings as best he can and hand out carbon and charcoal to those who need it. After all the drawings are complete, he would take some smaller samples (maybe the size you pick up with one hand) from each of the areas he mentioned and put them in his bags.*
As the others are arguing over what to do with the mural chunks, Sophia busies herself with the recently destroyed section trying to arrange what rubble there is in some semblance of order if the pieces are a size and condition to be moved with ease or by carefully noting and trying to reproduce the surface markings and orientation within her notebooks.
She states to no one in particular If you look at the chronological order of these reliefs, it is this section *she points to the area where she is working* that has been disturbed most recently and seemly with some purpose that may hold the most vital of information or else why go to the trouble of trying to destroy it?
Finally coming out of his haze, followed by some prayer, observation, and contemplation over the "strange" elf's actions - for reasons even he isn't sure of, he has not called out Nym, although he's angry at himself now of course - he pulls his journal out. "We took rubbings but not in any kind of order. I also drew what I could see. As Lady Wind suggested, let's take a rubbing of each broken rock with carvings, and note the position. Such a jumble, coupled with the right strength of cigar and some crisp dwarven ale, would be a good few evening's puzzling, I think. And I will volunteer to be a puzzler!"
Torn pieces of journal in hand, he puts himself by Griff and motions to Kurn - the original rubber, if such a thing is polite to think. This results in a good laugh that he immediately regrets, and he rubs his head before rubbing charcoal to rock, open journal next to him to note the location in relation to the undamaged bits.
*Zig nods to those working at tracing and scetching the boulders and murels or what's left of them. He is still sitting but could probably stand up if he felt like it. He downs his last bit of ale and contemplates.*
Whoever or whatever came in er' took what de wanted and destroyed what de wanted it seems.
*His gaze fixes on the recently destroyed section*
If de wanted te destroy de whole cave de couldof' Oi suppose. Only ting Oi can think of lef' is maybe for de folks represented in de star formations maybe dip sometin' important in de loite beam if de feelin' giddy. Maybe a clover for de prunillans or sometin'. Maybe ye get a soign or somethin' loike de scorpian dat kilt' de deep elf.
*He eases up and goes to the recently destroyed section and looks over the remnants for any recognizable images that may still be there.*
Sophia takes from her pack a length of wood with small marks at regular intervals on it. She uses this to examine fragments and transpose the details to her notebooks. She glances over at Andrew. I don't think there are any trees down here when you run out of paper unless you have enough in that book to plaster the cavern wall. she pulls out some metal calipers to go with her marked stick and continues to document as much of the pieces as she can. This is the only section she seems to be interested in. She summons a large black wolf to stand guard over her section while she's working.
*Quenton pipes up* I got a four leaf clover I carry for luck! But... I don't wanna loose it... Istill think we gotta get seven folk that follow each of the seven down here and all touch it at once.
*wanders over to the summoned wolf and pets it and gives it some jerkey*
*the large wolf snarls and turns its red eyes on the halfling as he approachs. Sophia absently looks up at the noise* Snack time tyaan? *her line of sight implies she does not mean the jerky*
Those taking rubbings of the mural quickly figure out that there's not enough paper in the cavern to make rubbings of the entire thing. Sketches and notes seem to be the way to go instead. Rubbings taken of the parts that seem to have been broken and crumbled away long ago are disappointingly shy of details, and attempts to puzzle the rubbings together into some sort of meaningful image are similarly disappointing and inconclusive.
Sophia's summoned wolf comes and goes several times while she works at taking observations of the section of wall that seems to be recently felled. Anyone who bothers to observe her and her work could see that she has managed to arrange a few of the smaller pieces into a fragment of what was the larger image carved on the cavern wall. Several larger and medium-sized pieces remain unmoved, likely due to their size and weight.
*Griff approaches Sophia and gives her wolf little notice except of where it is*
Aye seen ye been mak'n some progress. We've got some strong dwarves 'ere, how bout you let us move some ov dem larger pieces loike so deh can match up what ye done? *he motions to Kurn and Zig* Maybe weh come away from dis lair wit more dan jus a guess?
I appreciate the offer to help. Don't disturb the pieces that seem to be the right side up, but if you could carefully turn any that seem to on their unmarked side, it would be helpful. No need to move them around *she gestures to her sketch pad and measuring devices* I'm taking scaled measurements of the markings so that I can fit them onto the parchment I have and they can be recreated in wood or clay later to be moved around to see what they might reveal . She says something in elvish to the wolves and/or dogs that seem to keep appearing and they do not bother the dwarves unless they get too close to Sophia
// Not sure how much time we have left in here.
// Not sure how much time we have left in here.
// We'll let this action conclude
With some real effort, the dwarves are able to lift and position the heavier stones such that their carved surfaces are facing outward. With some more effort, they can turn them so that these carved faces appear to be at least mostly oriented with the correct portion upward. The collection of them are definitely not in the correct order, but there's enough to eventually piece together most of the scene.
The parts that can be made out seem to depict some sort of figure, but it is difficult to determine the details (and thus the nature) of this figure given the damage and the out-of-order arrangement of the stones. One fragment seems to depict legs. Another seems to depict a hand holding a piece of parchment with indistinct writing or symbols. Yet another shows what appears to be more trees and part of the sky. Others have less immdiately-recognizable features, and most have had some of the details chipped away, either intentionally or due to falling away from the wall.
Those who are familiar with stonework notice that there are definitely some distinctive markings from a tool of some sort that is clearly (to the knowledgeable eye) different from damage caused by natural fractures and impact from falling.
After a while of measuring, drawing and annotating, Sophia has a fairly complete accounting of the pieces intact enough to provide some useful amount of image.
Eventually, the ground shakes for about a minute, and dust and smallish bits of rock fall from the cavern's ceiling.
// This thread is effectively closed. You may PM us with further questions/clarifications, and you may of course conduct a discussion in a new thread as long as it takes place outside of the chambers.